KR102201836B1 - Dispense-end seal for toner containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A toner container assembly comprising a seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on the non-adhesive carrier surface, and an outer retainer ring having a first opening therethrough. The seal assembly has a second opening therethrough, and further includes a foam ring attached to the outer retainer ring with a first adhesive and a double-sided adhesive layer attached to the foam ring. The seal assembly further includes a solid foam disk having a first slit penetrating and a second slit penetrating therethrough, wherein the first slit is perpendicular to the second slit and attached to the foam ring by a double-sided adhesive layer.

Description

Dispensing-end seal for toner containers {DISPENSE-END SEAL FOR TONER CONTAINERS}

The present invention relates to the field of printing apparatus, and more particularly, to a toner container used in a printing apparatus.

A printing apparatus such as a laser printer uses powdered toner to form text or images. The toner inside the portable toner container (eg, toner container or cartridge) is placed in the printer, and the toner is dispensed from the container. For example, after the printer's dispensing auger is inserted into the container opening, the bin and/or dispensing auger is rotated to provide toner into the auger. The toner is then transferred to the print engine.

Solid powdered toner may leak from the container to the printer during the process of inserting or removing the auger into the container opening or during the transfer to the printer. Since these toners degrade print quality and shorten printer life, periodic maintenance is typically performed to remove toner contamination inside the printer.

In order to reduce toner leakage, a permanent seal can be placed in the container opening. The foam seal contains two slits intersecting each other. In the course of use, the dispensing auger extends into the container through the slits. However, since the length of the slits is larger than the diameter of the auger, the foam seal is not damaged during the auger insertion process, and the toner leaks from the ends of the slits during the process of using the printer, the process of inserting and removing the auger, and/or during the transfer of the printer.

A toner container in which toner leakage occurs less, and a printer including the toner container would be preferred.

A brief summary is presented below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of one or more embodiments of the invention. This summary is not a comprehensive overview, is not intended to identify key or important elements of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Rather, its primary purpose is to present one or more concepts only as a prelude to the detailed description below.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a toner container assembly for a printer, the toner container assembly comprising a seal assembly, the seal assembly comprising a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on the non-adhesive carrier surface, and a through first opening. Consisting of an outer retaining ring, a through second opening, a foaming ring attached to the outer retaining ring with a first adhesive, a double-sided adhesive layer attached to the foaming ring, and a through first slit and a through second slit crossing the first slit And a solid foam disk attached to the foam ring with a double-sided adhesive layer.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a printer having a toner container assembly comprising a seal assembly, the seal assembly comprising a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on the non-adhesive carrier surface, and a through first opening. Having an outer retaining ring, a through second opening, a foaming ring attached to the outer retaining ring with a first adhesive, a double-sided adhesive layer attached to the foaming ring, and a through first slit and a through second slit intersecting the first slit , And a solid foam disk attached to the foam ring with a double-sided adhesive layer. The printer further includes a printer housing housing the toner container assembly.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description explain the principles of the invention.
1 is a schematic perspective view of a toner container according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a schematic perspective view of a seal assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a schematic end view of the seal assembly of FIG. 2;
4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a seal assembly disposed inside a toner container;
Fig. 5 shows the structure of Fig. 4 after the dispensing auger is inserted through the seal assembly;
6 is a schematic perspective view of a printer including a toner container assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It is to be understood that some details of the drawings are shown for simplicity in order to increase understanding of the present invention rather than maintaining strict structural accuracy, specifications and scales.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.

As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the word “printer” refers to any apparatus that performs a printout function for any purpose, such as a digital copier, bookbinding machine, facsimile, multifunction machine, electrostatic photographic device, etc. Include. Unless otherwise specified, the word “polymer” refers to any one of a wide range of carbon-based compounds formed from long-chain molecules including thermosetting polyimides, thermoplastics, resins, polycarbonates, epoxies, and related compounds known in the art. Include.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a toner container in which toner leaks less than some prior toner containers. The toner container of the present invention reduces maintenance costs associated with printer operation and reduces toner leakage to printer internal parts, thereby increasing print quality and printer life.

1 shows a toner container assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the invention and a dispensing auger assembly 40 that may be part of a printer.

The toner container assembly 10 includes a container 12 having a dispensing opening 14 at a dispensing end 16, and a toner disposed in the filling opening 20 at the charging end 22 of the container 12 during use. A filling plug 18, and a seal assembly 24 disposed inside the dispensing opening 14 during use. The container 12 surface includes one or more surface grooves 26.

The dispensing auger assembly 40 includes a dispensing auger 42 and a container drive coupling 44 according to a known printer structure.

Before use, the toner 90 (Fig. 4) is filled into the container 12 through the filling opening 20, and the filling opening 20 is closed with a toner filling plug 18 to transfer the toner 90 into the container 12. Put inside. The toner container assembly 10 is disposed in the auger assembly 40 so that the auger tube 42 enters the container 12 through the dispensing opening 14. The auger assembly 40 is disposed such that the dispensing auger 42 extends through the seal assembly 24 opening and into the container 12. In the course of use, the container and/or dispensing auger 42 is rotated so that the toner inside the container 12 is digged by the dispensing auger 42 and transferred to a printing engine (not shown separately for simplicity). In the course of use, the one or more surface grooves 26 assist to move the toner toward the dispensing end 16 and dispensing auger 42 during the rotation of the container 12.

A seal assembly 24 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a schematic exploded perspective view of FIG. 2. The seal assembly 24 includes an outer retaining ring 60 having a through hole 62 and an inner side adhesive 78, a foam ring 64 having a through hole 66, a double-sided adhesive ring having a through hole 70 68, and a solid foam disk 72 having a pair of cross-penetrating slits 74 (eg, a cross-shaped slit). 3 shows the assembled seal assembly 24 as viewed from the solid foam disk 72 side. The major surface of the solid foam disk 72 physically contacts the double-sided adhesive ring 68. The main surface of the foam ring 64 is in physical contact with the adhesive 78 on the inner surface of the outer retaining ring 60. The outer retaining ring 60 has an adhesive 78 on only one side, and is thus a single-sided adhesive ring comprising the adhesive 78.

An exemplary seal assembly 24 for use with a dispensing auger 42 having a diameter of about 12 mm to about 18 mm, such as about 15 mm, is described below. It should be understood that the size of each individual element of the seal assembly 24 depends on the particular individual configuration of the container 12 and auger assembly 40.

The adhesive 78 of the outer retaining ring 60 is attached to the main surface of the foam ring 64. The adhesive 78 of the outer retaining ring 60 is used to attach the complete seal assembly 24 to the container 12, more particularly to the container lip 28 forming the dispensing opening 14. Accordingly, the outer diameter of the outer retaining ring 60 is greater than the outer diameters of any other seal assembly elements 64, 68, 72. For example, the outer diameter of the outer retaining ring 60 is about 38 mm to about 44 mm, for example about 41 mm. The diameter of the through opening 62 of the ring 60 is smaller than the diameter of the double-sided adhesive ring 68, but larger than the diameter of the opening 66 of the foam ring 64. For example, the diameter of the through opening 62 of the outer retaining ring 60 is about 17 mm to about 23 mm, for example about 20 mm. The outer retaining ring 60 includes a non-adhesive carrier material 76 and an adhesive layer 78 on one main surface of the carrier material 76. For example, the non-adhesive carrier material 76 is a polymer such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate polyester resin film such as Mylar® (available from EI DuPont de Nemours, Inc. of Wilmington, DE). . The adhesive layer 78 may be an acrylic adhesive or another adhesive such as a pressure adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a heat-curable adhesive, or the like. The outer retaining ring 60 thickness is from about 0.25 mm to about 0.75 mm, for example about 0.5 mm.

The foam ring 64 is made of a foam material, for example a polymer foam such as polyethylene foam, urethane foam, etc. The outer diameter of the foam ring 64 is from about 29 mm to about 35 mm, for example about 32 mm. The thickness of the foam ring 64 is from about 4 mm to about 8 mm, for example about 6 mm.

In general, the through opening 66 of the foam ring 64 has a shape that matches the dispensing auger 42 transverse shape, and a width or diameter that is approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the dispensing auger 42 width or diameter. The through opening 66 of the foam ring 64 is from about 5 mm to about 11 mm, for example about 8 mm.

The double-sided adhesive ring 68 is a single layer of adhesive 80. In another embodiment, the double-sided adhesive ring 68 comprises a non-adhesive carrier 80, which has a first adhesive layer 82 and a carrier (e.g., on a first side (e.g., a first major surface) of the carrier 80). 80) A second adhesive layer 84 is provided on the second side (eg, the second main surface). The double-sided adhesive ring 68 attaches the foam ring 64 to the main surface of the solid foam disk 72. The outer diameter of the double-sided adhesive ring 68 is about 29 mm to about 35 mm, for example about 32 mm. The double-sided adhesive ring 68 through opening 70 is approximately the same size as the outer retaining ring 60 through opening 62 and is about 17 mm to about 23 mm, or about 20 mm. The thickness of the double-sided adhesive ring 68 is from 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm, or about 0.2 mm. In an embodiment involving the use of a carrier, the non-adhesive carrier material 80 is a polymer such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate polyester resin film such as Mylar®. In a carrier embodiment, or a standalone adhesive embodiment, the adhesive may be an acrylic adhesive or another adhesive such as a pressure adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a heat-curable adhesive, etc.

The solid foam disk 72 is made of a foam material, for example a polymer foam such as polyethylene foam, urethane foam, etc. The outer diameter of the solid foam disk 72 is from about 29 mm to about 35 mm, or about 32 mm. The length of each slit 74 passing through the solid foam disk 72 is from about 10 mm to about 20 mm, or from about 13 mm to about 18 mm, or from about 15.5 mm, or inserting the dispensing auger 42 in the course of use and It is of sufficient size that no damage to the solid foam disk 72 occurs by removal. The two slits 74 are orthogonal to each other and intersect at the center of each slit 74 as shown. The solid foam disk 72 may have two slits 74, or more slits 74. In an embodiment, the two or more slits can be straight or curved. The thickness of the solid foam disk 72 is from about 4 mm to about 8 mm, for example about 6 mm.

Thus, as described above, each foam ring 64, double-sided adhesive ring 68, and solid foam disk 72 may have approximately the same outer diameters, with each outer diameter being equal to the diameter of the distribution opening 14 Almost the same. In another embodiment, the outer diameter of the double-sided adhesive ring 68 is the outer diameter of the foam ring 64 and the solid foam disk 72 if, in the course of use, the double-sided adhesive ring 68 is sufficient to attach the structures 68, 72 together. Can be smaller than

In the process of using the container 12, the seal assembly 24 is disposed inside the opening 14 of the toner container 12 as shown in FIG. 4. The seal assembly 24 seals the toner 90 inside the container 12, transports and stores, and removes the toner 90 from the container 12 during installation, normal use, and replacement in the printer. Reduce or prevent leakage. Each opening 62, 66, 70, and the center of each slit 74 are aligned with each other along the axis 92 of the seal assembly 24, the axis being the outer retaining ring 60 main surface, the foam ring 64 The main surface, the double-sided adhesive ring 68 main surface, and the solid foam disk (disc) 72 are perpendicular to the main surface. The inner edges of the solid foam disk 72 forming the slits 74 within the solid foam disk 72 contact each other to seal the toner 90 in the container 12. Since the diameter of the opening 66 of the foam ring 64 is smaller than the length of the slits 74, the foam ring 64 seals the outer extent (eg, each end) of each slit 74. For dispensing the toner 90, the dispensing auger 42, as shown in Fig. 5, includes an outer retaining ring 60, a through opening 62, a foaming ring 64, a through opening 66, and a double-sided adhesive ring 68. It is inserted into the through opening 70, and the through slits 74 of the solid foam disk 72. In the process of replacing the toner container 12, the dispensing auger comes out of the various openings and slits of the seal assembly 24.

Compared to the seal assembly for the preceding toner container using only the slit seal assembly, the seal assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the foam ring 64 having the through opening 66 by the double-sided adhesive ring 68. And a solid foam disk 72 having four slits 74. The width or diameter of the opening 66 of the foam ring 64 is approximately equal to or less than the width of the dispensing auger 42. The foam ring 64 is disposed opposite the ends of the slits 74 to transport and store the toner container assembly, insert the dispensing auger 42 into the seal assembly 24, use the toner container assembly inside the printer, and distribute it. In the process of removing the auger 42 from the seal assembly 24, toner 90 is prevented from leaking at the ends of the slits 74. In addition, the foam ring 64 provides a circumferential seal around the dispensing auger 42 to reduce toner 90 leakage between the solid foam disc 72 and any other imperfect contact areas of the dispensing auger 42. Or prevent.

A variety of techniques apparent to those skilled in the art can be used to manufacture the seal assembly 24 according to the present invention.

It should be understood that the drawings present a schematic diagram generically and in which other structures may be added and existing structures may be removed or modified. For example, the double-sided adhesive ring 68 may be another adhesive layer other than the adhesive ring, as long as the solid foam disk 72 can be sufficiently attached to the foam ring 64.

6 shows a printer 100 including an embodiment of the present invention. The printer 100 includes a printer housing 102, in which at least one toner container 10 (FIG. 1) including a seal assembly 24 is mounted and houses the toner container 10. In the course of operation, the toner 90 (FIG. 5) is transferred from the toner container 10 to the print engine 104, for example using a dispensing auger assembly 40 (FIG. 1). The print engine 104 operates according to digital commands and user input from the printer control panel 106 to transfer text and/or images 108 from the toner 90 to the print media 110 such as paper, plastic, etc. It is created on the back.

The numerical ranges and variables presented in the broad range of the present invention are approximate, but the numerical values presented in certain embodiments are presented as accurately as possible. However, any numerical value essentially has some error due to the standard deviation caused by each test measurement. In addition, all ranges described herein are inclusive of any and all sub-ranges included therein. For example, a range "less than 10" encompasses any and all sub-ranges (including) between the minimum value 0 and the maximum value 10, ie, any and all sub-ranges where the minimum value is greater than or equal to 0 and the maximum value is less than or equal to 10. Includes a range, for example 1 to 5. In certain cases, the numerical value as a variable may have a negative value. In this case, exemplary values denoted as "10 or less" are assumed to be negative numbers, for example -1, -2, -3, -10, -20, -30, and so on.

While the present invention has been described with respect to one or more embodiments, variations and/or changes to the illustrated embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, although a method is described as a series of actions or steps, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the sequence of such actions or steps. Some actions may occur in a different order and/or concurrently with other actions or steps, unlike those described herein. Further, not all process steps are necessary to implement a method according to one or more aspects or embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that structural elements and/or process steps may be added, or existing structural elements and/or process steps may be removed or modified. In addition, one or more of the actions described herein may be performed with one or more separate actions and/or phases. In addition, as long as “comprising”, “comprising”, “having”, “having”, “with” or variations thereof are used in the detailed description and claims, these terms have a similar meaning to the term “consisting of”. It is an open intention. The term “at least one” means that one or more of the listed lists may be selected. In addition, in the detailed description and claims, the term "on" used in one of the two substances and the other means contacting at least some of the substances, and "upper" means that the substances are adjacent but one or more additional intervening substances It means that it can be contacted, but not necessarily. Neither “on” or “on top” implies any directionality. The term “conformal” describes a coating in which the angle of the underlying material is preserved by the conformal material. The term “about” means that the listed values are partially changeable, unless the result of the change is inappropriate for the method or structure of the described embodiment. Finally, “exemplary” means what has been described as an example that is not ideal. Other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and embodiments herein. The specification and examples are merely exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

As used herein, the term relative position is defined with respect to a normal plane or a plane parallel to the machining surface of the workpiece, regardless of the orientation. As used herein, the term “horizontal” or “lateral” is defined as a plane parallel to the machining surface of the work piece, regardless of the normal plane or orientation. The term "vertical" means a direction orthogonal to the horizontal. Terms such as “top”, “side” (in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “top”, “top” and “bottom” are independent of the normal plane or orientation. Is defined for the top surface of the workpiece.

Claims (15)

A toner container assembly for a printer, wherein the toner container assembly includes a seal assembly, the seal assembly,
An outer retainer ring, wherein the outer retainer ring comprises a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on a surface of the non-adhesive carrier, and a first opening penetrating through the outer retainer ring, and having an outer diameter of 38 mm to 44 mm. , The outer retainer ring;
A foam ring having a second opening therethrough, wherein the foam ring is attached to the outer retainer ring with the first adhesive layer and has an outer diameter of 29 mm to 35 mm;
A double-sided adhesive ring including a third opening penetrating therethrough and attached to the foam ring, the double-sided adhesive ring having an outer diameter of 29 mm to 35 mm; And
A solid foam disk comprising a first slit penetrating through, a second slit penetrating through, and a major surface in physical contact with the double-sided adhesive ring, the solid foam disk having an outer diameter of 29 mm to 35 mm. Including,
The first slit is perpendicular to the second slit, the solid foam disk is attached to the foam ring by the double-sided adhesive ring,
The first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the center of the first slit and the center of the second slit are aligned along an axis as a whole perpendicular to the main surface of the solid foam disk . The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a toner container including an opening in a dispense end of the toner container;
The seal assembly is disposed within the opening of the toner container; And
The seal assembly is attached to the toner container using the outer retainer ring and the first adhesive layer. The method of claim 1,
The thickness of the outer retainer ring is 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm;
The thickness of the double-sided adhesive ring is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm;
The thickness of the foam ring is 4 mm to 8 mm;
The thickness of the solid foam disk is 4 mm to 8 mm;
The toner container assembly, wherein the length of each slit is 10 mm to 20 mm. The method of claim 3,
The first opening through the outer retainer ring is 17 mm to 23 mm;
The second opening through the foam ring has a diameter of 5 mm to 11 mm;
The third opening passing through the double-sided adhesive ring has a diameter of 17 mm to 23 mm. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the foam ring and the solid foam disk comprise at least one of polyethylene foam and urethane foam. In the printer,
A toner container assembly, a dispensing auger, and a printer housing surrounding the toner container assembly,
The toner container assembly includes a seal assembly,
The seal assembly,
An outer retainer ring, the outer retainer ring comprising a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on a surface of the non-adhesive carrier, and a first opening through the outer retainer ring;
A foam ring having a second opening therethrough, wherein the foam ring is attached to the outer retainer ring with the first adhesive layer;
A double-sided adhesive layer attached to the foam ring; And
A solid foam disk comprising a first slit penetrating through and a second slit penetrating therethrough, wherein the first slit is perpendicular to the second slit, and the solid foam disk is attached to the foam ring by the double-sided adhesive layer. Contains solid foam discs,
The dispensing auger is disposed within the first opening penetrating the outer retainer ring, the second opening penetrating the foam ring, and a third opening penetrating the double-sided adhesive layer. The method of claim 6,
Further comprising a toner container including an opening at a dispensing end of the toner container;
The seal assembly is disposed within the opening of the toner container; And
The seal assembly is attached to the toner container using the outer retainer ring and the first adhesive layer. The method of claim 6,
The double-sided adhesive layer is a double-sided adhesive ring including a third opening therethrough;
The major surface of the solid foam disk is in physical contact with the double-sided adhesive ring; And
The first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the center of the first slit and the center of the second slit as a whole are aligned along an axis perpendicular to the solid foam disk main surface. The method of claim 8,
The outer diameter of the outer retainer ring is 38 mm to 44 mm;
The outer diameter of the double-sided adhesive ring is 29 mm to 35 mm;
The outer diameter of the foam ring is 29 mm to 35 mm;
The outer diameter of the solid foam disk is 29 mm to 35 mm, the printer. The method of claim 8,
The thickness of the outer retainer ring is 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm;
The thickness of the double-sided adhesive ring is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm;
The thickness of the foam ring is 4 mm to 8 mm;
The thickness of the solid foam disk is 4 mm to 8 mm;
The printer, wherein the length of each slit is 10 mm to 20 mm. The method of claim 10,
The first opening through the outer retainer ring is 17 mm to 23 mm;
The second opening through the foam ring has a diameter of 5 mm to 11 mm;
The third opening through the double-sided adhesive ring has a diameter of 17 mm to 23 mm, the printer. The method of claim 11,
The foam ring and the solid foam disk include at least one of polyethylene foam and urethane foam. The method of claim 6,
The printer further comprising toner in the toner container. The method of claim 13,
And a print engine enclosed within the printer housing, wherein the dispensing auger is configured to transfer the toner to the print engine. A toner container assembly for a printer, wherein the toner container assembly includes a seal assembly, the seal assembly,
An outer retainer ring, wherein the outer retainer ring comprises a non-adhesive carrier, a first adhesive layer on a surface of the non-adhesive carrier, and a first opening penetrating through the outer retainer ring, and having a thickness of 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm. , The outer retainer ring;
A foam ring having a second opening therethrough, wherein the foam ring is attached to the outer retainer ring with the first adhesive layer and has a thickness of 4 mm to 8 mm;
A double-sided adhesive ring including a third opening penetrating therethrough and attached to the foam ring, the double-sided adhesive ring having a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm; And
A solid foam disk comprising a first slit penetrating through, a second slit penetrating through, and a major surface physically in contact with the double-sided adhesive ring, the solid foam disk having a thickness of 4 mm to 8 mm. Including,
The length of each slit is 10 mm to 20 mm,
The first slit is perpendicular to the second slit, the solid foam disk is attached to the foam ring by the double-sided adhesive ring,
The first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the center of the first slit and the center of the second slit are aligned along an axis as a whole perpendicular to the main surface of the solid foam disk .

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